Gasoline powered golf carts are well known. Presently they use a manual choke system that includes a choke cable and a butterfly valve located in the carburetor. Mechanical problems associated with the butterfly valves and choke cables include inoperative valves and broken or binding cables. Also, this type of choke system requires critical adjustment to engine operation and the cables require custom design for different installations. With such choke cables it is easy to forget that the engine is being choked and thus engine performance is impaired when the choke is not timely released by manual cutoff. Such problems result in expensive installation with high maintenance and operating costs in golf carts that are very economically sensitive to both initial and maintenance costs. The initial cost of the choke cable and the carburetor with butterfly assembly is high, particularly when the initial tuning of idling valves, etc. to each engine performance is required.
Generally air for combustion is drawn directly into an air filter at the engine location. The air surrounding the engine of the golf cart that is drawn into the air filter contains considerable dirt generated by the wheels over dirt tracks and other grime which decreases the life of the engine and the air filter, and further increases corresponding operation and maintenance costs. When the air filter becomes dirty, then not only is more fuel required and the engine does not operate properly because of partial choking, but dirt can get into the engine to decrease engine life.
Further the choke system when the air flow path is throttled down can generate significant intake noise objectionable to the passengers.
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide an air inlet assembly for golf carts with internal combustion engines which uses a simpler carburetor and eliminates problems in the choking mechanism.
It is a further object of this invention to provide an air inlet assembly that is less critical to adjustment and installation procedures and which remains more maintenance free.
It is yet another object of this invention to minimize noise in the air intake and choking system.
It is a further object of this invention to provide cleaner air for combustion to increase the life of the air filter and the engine and to improve engine performance.
It is still another object of this invention to provide a reliable, efficient low cost engine assembly for golf carts that is easy to install and maintain.